TRUSTED Broadband Networks Act
The TRUSTED Broadband Networks Act would exempt certain projects from federal environmental and historic-preservation reviews. Specifically, it aims to speed up the removal of “covered” communications equipment or services and replace them with equipment or services that are not covered, by declaring that such projects are not major Federal actions under NEPA or undertakings under NHPA. In practice, this means a federal authorization for these replacements could be processed without the usual environmental impact statements or Section 106 historic-preservation reviews, potentially shortening timelines for upgrading or replacing insecure or outdated equipment. The bill defines a “covered project” as a permanent removal and replacement of covered communications equipment or services with non-covered equivalents, where “covered” equipment/services come from the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019. It also clarifies what counts as a “federal authorization” (permits, certifications, opinions, etc.) that would be exempt from NEPA/NHPA review. The short title given is the TRuSTED Broadband Networks Act.
Key Points
- 1Exempts covered projects from NEPA major Federal action review (42 U.S.C. § 4332(2)(C)).
- 2Exempts covered projects from NHPA review as “undertakings” (per 54 U.S.C. 300320).
- 3Defines a “covered project” as the permanent removal of covered communications equipment or services and replacement with non-covered equivalents.
- 4Defines “federal authorization” to include any required federal permit, certification, opinion, or other approval for the project.
- 5Provides an alternative short title: Timely Replacement Under Secure and Trusted for Early and Dependable Broadband Networks Act (TRUSTED Broadband Networks Act).